Car Burglary Victim Says New Stadium Bag Policy Is Partly To Blame

DENVER (CBS4) – The victim of a car burglary over the holiday weekend says she partially blames the bag policy that’s in place at Sports Authority Field at Mile High for what happened to her.

The woman — whose first name is Megan and whose last name she wishes not to publicize — says she knew about the policy before heading to the Mile High Showdown with friends on Sunday.

(credit: CBS)

Thirteen of the last 16 of the annual games between in-state football rivals the Colorado Buffaloes and the Colorado State University Rams have been played at the stadium. Stadium officials say a new NFL policy dictating what people can bring to games applies to all events at the stadium.

Megan told CBS4 she even researched what she would be allowed to take into the stadium, and thought her purse would be okay.

“I had measured. I went online and checked out the dimensions,” she said.

But Megan says she was turned away at the gates by security because her bag “did not pass inspection.”

So she walked back to where her SUV was parked, Lot G, and placed the purse under her car seat.

During the game, vandals smashed her car window and looted her car.

“They took my purse which included my wallet, multiple credit cards. Many, many personal items were in my bag,” she said. Those items included her house keys and information which contained her home address.

Megan said she came back after the game to find a shattered window and glass and blood all over her interior.

“They must have cut themselves because they splattered blood everywhere,” she said.

Megan then filed a police report and canceled her credit cards. She later found out the thief or thieves had already charged thousands of dollars at businesses including a Diamond Shamrock store on Federal Boulevard near the stadium.

As Megan tries to get her life back in order, she has a message for those behind the new rules as the stadium: “I think you should revamp your policies or else you’re going to lose a lot of fans.”

Officials with Sports Authority Field at Mile High say they are not responsible for valuable items left in cars during games.

Denver police also told CBS4 they didn’t see a significant increase Sunday in the normal number of break ins they see during games.